University of Michigan - Michiganensian Yearbook (Ann Arbor, MI)

Page 15 text:

Talents, wisdom are shared Top artists of the concert world, frequent guests on ilu I ' niversity ' s Hill Auditorium stage, take time to meet students informally and to share experiences. Here a Daily reporter interviews the lovely and gra- cious Rise Stevens. To those whose prime dedication is the advancement and refine- ment of the nrls. thr working day is not over at 3:00 o ' clock. The famed Stanley Quartet, all of whose participants are faculty mem- bers, presents frequent concerts of chamber music for the benefit of students and the general public. An English instructor takes time out to meet with his students over coffee, after regular class hours. Special areas of interest are inves- tigated informally. Attendance is not required, but nearly everyone is present. One of the distinctive characteristics of the Michigan mosaic is the diffusion throughout all its multiform parts of a certain spirit of exchange a sharing of the finest intellectual, emotional, and artistic experiences of life. Education demands this sort of exchange, not only of ideas. l)iit of feelings and the deepest understandings of which man is capable. A good teacher is not just a person who can lecture well to a classroom full of note-taking students. He is any man or woman who has tasted life, has found some- thing valuable, and who is able to reach people, through whatever talents he possesses, and share with them what he has found. He is the actor, the concert singer, the lecturer from another country, the quiet instructor working humbly and faithfully without fanfare. The quality of an educational experience depends greatly on the degree and quality of rapport between teacher and student. This rapport requires effort on both sides. It requires wisdom and a sincere concern on the part of the teacher. It requires the ability to share. ftfl

Page 14 text:

Students find friends among the faculty Will automation pervade even the classroom? These electronic computers seem to answer yes. Yet no one will ever find a substitute for the marvelous interplay of human minds in the unfathomed process of learning. Faculty members become just good friends as the girls of a sorority house entertain a man and wife who are both University instructors. To attain a more personalized atmosphere in liberal arts education, instructors in freshman English courses schedule weekly conferences with each student. Special problems and prom- ising accomplishments receive attention. Stu- dents find their instructors willing to sacrifice free time to help them develop the art of com- position. 10

Page 16 text:

An atmosphere of informality radiates warmth and friendliness, as President and Mrs. Hatcher chat with students at a tea in their home.